Houston Dynamo FC host Minnesota United FC at 7:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, May 23 at Shell Energy Stadium to play for a spot in the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Tuesday is the third meeting between both teams in the tournament in the Round of 16. Houston won the first meeting 1-0 in 2018 and would go on to win the title that year. Minnesota United won 3-2 the following year and reached the final, falling to Atlanta United in Georgia.
The Dynamo reached the Round of 16 with a 1-0 victory at Shell Energy Stadium over Sporting Kansas City on May 10. Houston tallied their sixth clean sheet at home and seventh of the year in all competitions. forward Thor Úlfarsson scored the lone goal of the match and his first of the year to secure Houston’s spot in the next round.
Houston enters this match with a 4-5-3 (WLD) record in MLS play after Saturday’s 1-1 draw in Frisco, Texas. Dallas took the lead in the 53rd minute off a free kick. The Dynamo equalized from a corner kick in the 85th minute when captain Héctor Herrera found Úlfarsson running onto the left side of the six-yard box whose glancing header found the net with the help of the far post. This was the forward’s first goal of the season and second of the month.
The Dynamo hold a formidable 4-1-1 record at Shell Energy Stadium this season, while earning another victory against Sporting KC earlier this month in the Round of 32 of the U.S. Open Cup. Houston went 536 minutes without conceding a goal at home to start the 2023 season until falling to Seattle Sounders FC 1-0 on May 13 to an 87th minute goal when only nine Houston players were on the pitch.
Houston enters the series with a 4-8-4 (WLD) league record against Minnesota, and the Dynamo last avoided defeat by securing a point away from home in a 2-2 draw with the Loons on Oct. 18, 2020. The two clubs met in league play on May 17 in Minnesota, resulting in a 1-0 victory for the Loons.
Minnesota United advanced to the Round of 16 after defeating the Philadelphia Union in a penalty shootout following a 3-3 draw in regulation. The loons enter this match with a 5-5-3 (WLD) record in MLS play after defeating the Portland Timbers 1-0 on the road on Saturday.
The winner of Tuesday’s match will advance to face the winner of Wednesday night’s match between Austin FC and Chicago Fire FC in the quarterfinals on June 6 or 7. The winner of the Austin and Chicago match will host the quarterfinal match. Additionally, the winner of the Central Region will face the winner of the West Region in the semifinals.
The Dynamo return to league play on May 27 when they host Austin FC at Shell Energy Stadium. The match will be their seventh of eight during the month of May.
